When prisoners or inmates of city, county, state or federal prisons are removed from the controlled environment where they generally reside, the risk of harm to themselves and to others, and the risk of escape increases. Additionally, people who are uncontrollable, such as those intoxicated by drugs or alcohol, and who need to be contained for treatment, the risk of harming themselves or others needs to be lessened. Currently, approaches used to contain inmates or intoxicated persons involve some sort of shackles on their arms, legs, waists or neck, or rooms dedicated to confining one or more persons.
What many people are unaware of is that inmates must be treated in hospitals or emergency rooms, where the general public also goes for treatment. For example, it is not uncommon for women prisoners to be shackled, hand or leg cuffed, to a bed, during labor and delivery of a child. Pregnant women may wear body restraints within hospitals, and must be accompanied at all times by a guard, who may be armed. For other prisoners attending hospitals, body restraints may be applied unless there is a medical objection. Although shackling may seem more abhorrent in women than it does in men, in both sexes, in some places and countries, it is considered an abuse of human rights. Those responsible for the inmates are concerned about escapes by prisoners and those in hospitals are concerned about medical care for the inmates, and safety of hospital employees and other patients. Faced with patients in chains, doctors and other hospital staff may feel unclear about their responsibilities. Payments for prisoner guards increases the costs to the hospital or prison, and ultimately to all in the community.
Like the rest of the population, there is a growing number of elderly prisoners behind bars. Many state parole boards are considering medical parole for certain inmates who require around-the-clock nursing care to hospitals in hopes of saving the states money and reducing crowding in prisons. The hospitals or nursing homes are not equipped to handle prisoners, whether elderly or not. Medically incapacitated inmates, some comatose, or paraplegic, can cost $750,000 a year. That money pays for guards to watch the inmates treated in hospitals outside the prisons. As the elderly prison population grows, more hospital visits are anticipated.
Another location where prisoners must be kept temporarily is at courthouses. Risk of escape and danger to the public are high, especially for desperate prisoners. Fear of escape leads to inhumane treatment of prisoners when dedicated holding rooms in courthouses are filled. Prisoners have been kept locked in vans, outside of the courthouse, when holding cells are full. If animals were treated in such a manner, it would violate animal cruelty laws.
What is needed are containment systems for inmates who are outside the normal prison grounds, such as at hospitals or courthouses, or at sites where prisoners must be confined temporarily such as in occupied areas or battlefields.